What did the Texans show you in preseason Game 1? Sprinkle in some play-by-play

Honestly not much as expected, but its pre-season game #1 and they looked good even if they didn’t show us their cards before placing their bets. If recorded the game, I’ll start off with some play by play up until the first Texans rushing touchdown.

First Quarter.

They came out in a I rt twins left set where the Z motioned back right. It was a quick set pass, and what jumped out was a nice cut block Brown showed to open up the game on the backside. Walters (the Z) Ran a hitch and sat down in the window for a nice ten yard completion.

The second snap of the game I missed the formation due to ABC13 leaving their line ups on the screen to long. They tend to do that every year and it gets to be frustrating. It looked to be a 5 step drop, and the pocket held up nicely, the interior line stonewalled the Chiefs four man rush and D.Brown made another nice pick up sliding out to pick up the rush backer. Schaub makes a nice completion Joel Dressen on an out route. I’ve always liked Joel Dressen, and would have really liked to see more of him in two TE sets last season.

Third snap was yet again another ABC13 special with them flashing back to the screen just in time to watch Slaton being tracked down on an outside run to the right. Vonte had a nice block but I couldn’t see where the play broke down. No gain.

Fourth snap was an I left twins rt set with Walter motioning over tight rt. Nice lane opens up to the left, on a outside zone play but D. Brown whiffs on the inside Lber who slides inside of him and tackles Slaton for a short loss. Frustrating play, because everyone else seemed to get to their blocks.

Fifth snap was a 3rd and 11 play, out of a shotgun formation. At the snap of the ball the Chiefs come with the blitz, though the B gap, Brisiel gets turned inside and the blitzer(safety) shoots right off his back to get to Schaub for a sack. It looks as if they may not have adjusted properly to the Chiefs formation.

Texans punt.

Chiefs ball first and ten from the 20.

Chief line up in a single back bunch formation with Trips rt. They run a counter lead left. Mario Williams sheds his block and brings down Larry Johnson with a few other Texans assisting. Maybe a two yard gain.

2nd and eight Chiefs line up in a power I left, Texans show the 4-3 under look with Diles added as a what appears to be a fifth lineman on the TE side. Chiefs run a delay out of it that Ryans sniffs out, darts though the A gap but allows Johnson to run out of his tackle that turns a loss into a 3 yard gain.

3rd and 5 from the 25, Chiefs come out in a Shotgun bunch rt, with Johnson set up to the rt of Cassell. The Texans move Mario over to LE on this play. Chiefs get an isolation on the weak side man coverage with Fred Bennett, they complete a push route for the first down. Nice coverage from Bennett, just a very good throw from Cassell or that play would have been incomplete. Joel Myers commented the Texans gave the Chiefs to much time, but he ball was out in three seconds and there was no rush on. The Texans sent just four. Good play by the offense.

First and ten from the 35, Chiefs come out in a single set bunch formation Lt, and run a toss to the left side. Texans show the 4-3 under, Diles gets washed which creates a nice seal for the Chiefs, Bennett does a nice job getting off a block but cant make the arm tackle for no gain. Johnson gets pushed out of bounds for a three yard gain. I would have liked to see Cushing or Thompson playing the SAM on that play. Demeco fights every play, he had to fight though a ton of trash to get there, nice effort from 59.

2nd and seven, Chiefs in a Power I set right. Texans counter with the base under 4-3 look, they keep stacking the Will way off the line of scrimmage. I really don’t like having Adibi that far in out in space, he looks like he is playing safety. Chiefs run up the middle weak, perfect example of Adibi being back to far to make the play, Johnson is gaining positive yards by the time Adibi can get up. Mario gets him from behind (by the ankles) or it’s a big run. Chiefs pick up 5 on the play.

3rd down and 3, Chiefs come out in Shotgun left slot rt with the back setting up on the left (Mario Williams). Texans stay in a base 4-3 under, and don’t adjust to the 3 wide package from what we can see. The Chiefs go with the slant as the slot clears but Demeco makes a hit to jar the ball loose. Chiefs forced to punt.

(great punt by Colquit, Jacoby let it go and they were able to down it at the three. Good play by the Chiefs, Jacoby did the right decision.) Texans get the spot of the 6.

1rst and ten from the 3, Texans come out I rt, twins left Walters motions back in tight. Chiefs adjust to the motion and tip off the blitz coming from the weak side. Texans get nice cut blocks on the weak side, especially Walters. The safety knifes in but Slaton cuts back (because of the great Walters block) and he grabs nothing but grass. Slaton gets out to the 11 before pursuit drags him down. Nice move by Slaton on the cut back, but it was set up by the cut blocks on the weak side.

2nd and 4 from the 11, Texans come out in an I left wing left. The run the Iso play action weak, and Schuab finds Johnson as he curls up in the Chiefs zone at the 27. Schaub look smooth in his delivery, and Johnson blows up an attempted jam 6 yards down the field. Man among boys at times, first down. Joel Myers thinks number 80 is Andre Davis, to funny.

1rst and 10 from the 27, Texans come out in an Ace formation (two TE’s on both sides) Walters and Johnson left. Walters motions to the rt wing before the snap. I like this formation because for the Texans because it keeps teams from being able over shift to the TE side. Texans run a reverse back to Walters for no gain. Texans didn’t block the play like a reverse they ran it just like a normal zone play. Chiefs weren’t fooled.

2nd and 9 from the 28, missed the formation due to the broadcasters needing to get a shot of the down pour that had just began. They were in a 2 back set with the TE rt, and Walters in tight rt. Walters makes a nice catch at the 37 on the read route and curls up for a gain of just over 9 for the first down.

First and ten, Texans back in the Ace balance with Walter and Johnson split wide. Texans run the inside zone play left but Winston and Brisiel get nice backside blocks and Slaton cuts back for a gain of 4. Texans get called for holding but Bob Allen is yapping about the rain and we miss who the call was on. I didn’t see it from the angle the TV showed.

First and twenty from the 27, Texans come out single back left slot lt in a 3 wide set. They run an inside zone play that gains two yards. There was a nice cutback lane that opened up off the nose but, Brisiel couldn’t hold his block and his man shed and allowed the pursuit to rally and drive Slaton back. Slaton loses his helmet on the play.

2nd and 18 from the 29, Texans come out in what looks like the same formation. Schaub takes a 5 step drop, resets and finds David Anderson on what looks to be another read route between the Lbers. Nice pocket set up again, Texans doing a nice job holding up against the Chiefs base 4 rush. Texans get 7 yards.

3rd and 11 from the 35, Texans stay in same formation but flip it and run it right. Chris Brown checks in as the back and the Texans run the slip screen to Brown. Right off the bat, Brisiel gets an outstanding block to clear space for Brown to get started up field, then Chris White shows some quicks as he gets 10 plus yards down field to get another. Two great blocks, but Brown fumbles the ball as he gets hit running with his pads high and one hand on the ball in traffic at the 55. Chiefs defender stuck his hat right on the ball, Studdard gets down the field to recover the fumble and holds on. Studdard along with Brisel made the blocks that sprung Brown on the screen. Great work by the Texans line who look very light on their feet. Chiefs get called for a horse tackle personal foul that looked more like an attempted horse collar, but Texans keep the ball and get a first down.

1rst and ten from the 32, Texans stay in the same formation again, Chiefs with base 3-4 personnel. Schaub hits Owen on the out route to the left. Schaub threw the ball on the third step, read the defense, and delivered a nice strike. Chiefs ran a stunt with the OSLB on the strong side and the Texans picked it up. I can tell Matt read the blitz, and it wasn’t a timing route because the Texans line didn’t quick set in pass pro. Daniels catches the pass at the 26 and scoots up to the 22 before getting brought down.

2nd and 1 from the 22, Texans in a weak I rt, Texans run the inside zone play left White, Brisel and Winston all get to their blocks and open the backside cut for Brown. Brown cuts back toward the strong side, Daniels cuts the only defender to have a shot before the secondary get punished at the 11. This time Brown gets his pads down as he gets though the hole.

1rst and ten from the 11, Texans in a weak I lt, Inside zone call, this time to rt. Chris Brown tries to cut back but Duane Brown couldn’t execute his cut block from the backside and his man is able to keep his feet, come down the line and meet Brown in the hole. Brown keeps his pads low and powers out a 3 yard gain. Brown looks better getting off the ball then he did last season. He just didn’t get his head across before he tired to cut his man.

2nd and seven from the 8, David Anderson checks in for the FB, and the Texans go with that single back Lt, with Anderson and Walters left. Walters motions in tight, They run the inside zone play Rt, This time Brown blows his man off the ball and opens a huge cut back lane for Brown who reads it and bust up to just inside the 1 on another bruising run. Daniels might have gotten away with a little bit of a hold.

3rd and inches from just outside the 1. Gary calls a time out.

3rd and inches from just outside the 1, Texans line up in a goaline tight I formation lt, the wing motions Rip-Liz and the Texans run a outside zone play left. Studdard got a nice block getting left and spinning his but to the hole. Brown and White both had nice blocks as well, and Brown goes over both of them into the end zone. Touchdown. Not to often have we seen this line blow people off the ball in short yardage situations. Nice job.

Back up Quarterback didn’t look sharp.

Dan O, didn’t have a great game. You have to wonder how much the new system and the weather had an effect on him. He looked as if he didn’t trust his reads and was waiting to see the route break open before he threw. When he did throw he just didn’t have much on the ball, though he did look decent on a few timing routes. I liked the signing when they got him, I think he’s going to play better as the preseason goes along.

Butler looked like he belonged at tackle once he got in the game, nice feet, may not have the ideal strength but I want to see more out of him during the pre-season.

Frank Okham really flashed a few times, but has a lot of work to do. The first time he got pressure was a screen where they let him though, the next play he got worked pretty good. He did show a few things, but we need to see more good and less bad.

Joel Dressen continues to impress me. I’ve always liked that kid, and wished he could get on the field more. He hyper extended his knee during the game.

Thor did not disappoint, Connor Barwin was impressive with the highlight being the fake spin move for a sack.

I think we got a good look at the basic stuff the Texans are going to do under Bush and aside from Adibi lining up to far off the ball, I liked what I saw. I thought the played very sound, and saw very few breakdowns from the Texans.

What were your thoughts on the pre-season game one?

Thanks

JLR

Texans Nation,

Just a note to let you know that Texans RT Eric Winston has posted a new video blog at www.ericwinston.com to talk about the Chiefs game and answer questions from fans. Hope you like it!

50 Responses

Well all the quotes I came across from players, etc. said that Bush kept the base 4-3 cuz he wanted the players to beat the guy opposite them. Made sense to me honestly, I like the idea of tryin’ to straight-up beat your primary opposition (Barwin vs. Albert). If you can straight up beat people then it bodes well later when you try to actually use/implement your real defensive scheme/packages during the regular season and builds confidence for the Defense in their own individual abilities and as a unit which didn’t get much encouragement under Smith I don’t think.

Also it appears Kubes figures on tryin’ Casey at FB instead of signing another FB.

Apparently he’s also lookin’ to maybe re-sign Brink, I think Kubes has finally decided to bite the bullet and use another roster spot for a 3rd QB, he’s tired of havin’ to grab an extra backup from thin air who knows little or nothing about the offense.

I wanted to see Caldwell more and agree that it would’ve been real nice to see Thompson in there at SLB. I thought Dan-O struggled more on the shorter throws than the long ones (obviously one or two long ones were kinda scary but he seemed more confident than on the short routes).

Darnell Jenkins impressed me a lot with his catches and toughness, I’m also starting to like Busing as well.

Brandon Harrison still doesn’t hold up well IMHO, he continues to disappoint more than impress..

If Nolan gets put on IR with his hand injury it looks like it’s down to Busing vs. Harrison, as the others are Barber, Ferguson, and Wilson..if that’s the case I’m inclined to think Busing is the 4th Safety.

I liked what I saw outa Okam for the most part, hope he continues to improve and get more consistent through the pre-season and carries it into the regular season.

Moats is a tough dude, may not be overly speedy (though he ain’t slow either) but his smaller, compact size makes ’em hard to find and he gives as good or better than he takes.

Had a great time hangin’ out with y’all the other night.

We enjoyed it too Eddie, and thanks for all the help! I’m liking this Busing kid! ~ Crimedog

That spin move was amazing and he almost had an interception that was in his hands and possibly could have been a pick 6.

Frank Okam

On the aforementioned Barwin almost interception, it was okam that forced the QB to throw it early. His first play in the game he just abused the guard. He just needs to be more consisitent.

Matt Shaub

Man I hope Shaub does not get injured this season. I will elaborate on this in the bad and ugly section. He looked to be in regular season form going 7 for 7 for 70 yards.

Chris Brown and Ryan Moats

I think running back is going to be similar to what wide receiver was before the 2007 season. If yall remember we were looking for a complement to andre Johnson and we even braught in Keenan Mccardell. My point being a previous weakness turned into a team strength with the emergence of Walters and Andre Davis. I see the same thing happening here.

Kasey Stuudard

Although there was a horse collar penalty and had Kansas city recovered the football the ball would have been the Texans, that was still a heads up play.

Kevin Bentley

He had a forced fumble and fumble recovery and he seemed to be everywhere. I hope we keep 7 linebackers because this will be a hard position to cut somebody at.

James Casey

That catch was a great catch and he was great on special teams

The Bad(these are people that made some good plays but I would like to see improve)

Dan Orlovski

Although he had no turnovers, he was very close to having 2 pick 6 that were in the corner’s hands and could have been taken to the house. I counted 3 times where he threw behind the receiver and did not lead the receiver. He did hold on to the ball too long at times.I will say that he did get a little better as the game wore on, but still not where I feel comfortable should shaub get hurt.

Steve Slaton

He had the one good run where he juked the defensive end out of his shoes but he got stuffed at the line of scrimmage 2 times. Where I was looking fro Steve slaton to improve was in the blocking game and to not get stuffed at the line of scrimage as much. His yards per carry was inflated because he would get stuffed alot and then break out a big run. I want to see him get more positive runs.

Amobi Okoye and Antonio smith

Smith had one play where he over reacted to the run but he caught up to the guy and he and Barwin tackled the guy. I would have liked to see these two make some more plays in the backfield. Amobi’s maturation will go along way in deciding how well our defense does.

The ugly

Rex Grossman

Lets hope this hamstring injury is not serious and he can bounce back. The plays that he was in the game they were not good plays. I hope Shaub does not get injured next season.

Mark Parsons

He had a pass interference and he got away with a facemask that could have been costly.

Buster Davis

had a late hit on the cheifs TD drive that was costly. His late hit was against thigpen.

I went back and re-watched the game in the privacy of my own home. That move Connor Barwin did might have been one of the sickest football moves i have seen, especially by a rookie. Thooorrrr did exactly what i thought he would do which is his job. I believe he had a special teams tackle as well. Joel Dressen had no choice but to get hurt on that catch. The tackle was made right on the right knee (Did not look good)

Overall the defense held their groung during the first half almost leaving the Chiefs with a Goose Egg. First team offense went in looking like the machine that they are on the second series after realizing the chiefs thought that this was a regular season game. They definitely was not just playing a base defense.

Steve Slaton was Steve Slaton and Brown was Healthy

TexansFanaticSteve

We had a great time with you guys out at the get together. Send me and e-mail out to Bigthrawn01@hotmail.com and I’ll send you my number for hooking up for the tail gate.~JLR

I liked what I saw for the most part from the team but am still concerned about the O-Line. This unit needs to be better than average for the team to make the playoffs. I understand that Pitts and Myers were out but it seemed like the starting unit did not get much push off the ball.

I don’t want to critcize Duane Brown too much but I did notice one play where he missed the LB and didn’t seem to even try to shove the guy when he initally missed him. The LB then hit Slaton at the line of scrimmage. Had Brown made the block it appeared that Slaton would have made some big yardage as everyone else hit their assignments.

OD made several nice blocks that were probably unnoticed but , nevertheless, important blocks. Studdard did okay but is not a starter. This 1st team experience in the preseason is good for him and hopefully he proves to be a valuable backup for us.

Caldwell stood out to me on the 2nd unit as he appears more than strong enough to be a long-time starter in the league. He played both guard and center and I fully expect for him to be a starter there at some point. He was the key to the draft in my opinion. I hope Butler turns out to be solid as he and Caldwell will provide much needed depth in the event of an injury.

Chris Brown played well and I everyone has adequately analyzed his situation. Moats looked really good as well but we have to remember that he was playing against 2nd and 3rd units. The holes may not be so big in the real games.

I think the analysis of Okam is spot on. I’m not a huge fan of Travis Johnson and don’t expect him back next year but hope he gets healthy and retains his starting position. The Texans will have some decent depth with TJ starting as Robinson, Okam and Cody will be the backups. With Robinson as an option instead of just Okam to rotate in it will keep the pressure off of Okam this year as he continues to develop. He should be able to give us some solid play and will hopefully develop into a guy that can play 40-50% of the snaps by next year. I loved the pick when we got him in the 5th round as he had a lot of upside for that low of a pick.

There wasn’t a whole lot to say about the LB’s but I did get a favorable impression of Buster Davis. I think he could fit in well as a backup as the team really doesn’t have many thumpers in the LB unit so he could bring something different to the table.

It’s very hard to judge the secondary on TV as you can’t see them until the ball is in the air. The good thing is that I didn’t notice either of the rookie CB’s getting beat. While it wasn’t a highlight reel hit I did like how Quin put a helmet on a TE I believe after the catch.

We all know that we need to upgrade the safety position next offseason but I didn’t even see who the starters were, although I do know who they are. I was surpised how long it took to get Barber in the game as I thought he was fighting for the starting position. I didn’t see much of Nolan but how did he look?

The secondary is a big question mark but it should be okay with Dunta’ returning soon. I am excited to see what Quin and McCain can do against a better passing offense and also hope to see good things from Moulden when he is eligible to play.

Other than the obvious factors of keeping Schaub, AJ and Mario healthy I think the keys to how good the team will be this year depend on what kind of production Okoye gives and the O-line not having any serious injuries to Winston and Pitts.

One thing I got from it was, there’s still an unfortunate “drop down” from first string to backup at too many key positions. I wasn’t particularly impressed with our QB play after Schaub left, for example.Still, it’s only one preseason game, played in very bad conditions.

Wonder why they lined Adibi that far off. Doesn’t make sense esp with non explosive team like chiefs??

I would like to see more of Foster in the next game

They do it to keep the guys from getting stacked up in the same pursuit lane by one blocker or pile up. I just think you can achomplish the same thing by not lining quite so far back. I understand and agree with the concept, just not the execution.~JLR

Man…JLR that was great! I know it probably takes a lot of time to do a play-by-play, but if I had DVR’ed the game I could take what you wrote and just learn a boatload. I hope you can do it again–doesn’t have to be the whole game, the amount you did is perfect.

edietherac: I too was real impressed with Bush’s statement about wanting to watch his guys try to beat the guy in front of him. That seems like a good thought process at work to me.

I write that stuff for folks like yourself that are interested in more than just end result. Im a how did you do that kind of person, always have been. Thanks for the kind words.~JLR

Was hoping for some kickoff party pics. Hopefully that’s coming soon? I have a standing bar commitment, so I couldn’t make it, but y’all could probably hear us where you were. The Texans looked pretty good, which is always better than bad. Loved the highlight plays from Studdard, Barwin, and Casey, and thought Okam and the backup running backs looked pretty good.

Thanks for the in depth breakdowns – reminds everyone how important every player is on every play. Thanks for mentioning the announcer mistakes as well – people need to realize that announcers are human too, and aren’t always right. We met the “too much time” comment by shouting BS!, followed by counting to three during the replay. With my crowd, it’s a good thing the play didn’t go longer.

I think they will have a better test for the defense this week and next against New Orleans and Minnesota. The Saints passing attack is much more potent than KC, so we should get an indication about the secondary there. The Vikings strong D-line and running attack should show if the Texans are ready to take on Jacksonville and Tennessee when they start playing for real. Texans fans tend to look past the Jaguars, but that’s a good way to have Jones-Drew stomp on you.

One last comment for those who say preseason means nothing and the wins don’t matter:

“You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.” – Vince Lombardi.

Winning always matters.

Thanks DC…we all had a great time at the party. The pics will be forthcoming! ~ Crimedog

Count your blessings…I moved to the Dallas area in October. Now in the preseason, I…A. Am dependent on NFL Network to show the preseason games. So instead of watching it live, I had to wait until 9:00 AM Sunday morning to watch it…and B. had to put up with Chiefs announcers for the entire game. These guys were so bad, that Gene Peterson would have said…WOW THESE GUYS ARE HOMERS! The only Texan info I got was that Kris Brown was the only kicker the Texans have ever had….grrrr. It was almost like the Chiefs were having an intersquad practice because they hardly even mentioned the Texans….oh well, next week even though I still won’t get the game live, I believe I should at least get the Texans feed since it’s a home game.

1st timer, appreciate your time, work, and the outlet you present. I also really appreciate your insight and bringing more understanding to the game, after all, it is just a game. I didn’t see much of the opener, but from what I saw, we lacked something on both sides. On D, I can see that Cushing will add an attitude that we desperately need. I think our secondary will pan out, in fact, in a few years, I believe this will be the best secondary in the league. That comment is based on ability and coaching. I am excited about the rookie CBs, Molden, Reeves. If DRob is here great, but not crushing if he cries longer. Our guys are getting reps and fronting AJohnson, ADavis, Walter, Daniels, Anderson, and the rest. They are being thrown in the Lions’ den.

On O, I thought Schaub looked slow, but I know the conditions weren’t good, and he was trying to keep his footing, but I figured he would be a little more crisp. He just doesn’t have a lot of zip on his balls, never really has. As much as I like him, we really do need to find a capable back up. If Dan aint the man, we need another plan. Vontae is a solid fullback. Excited about Casey. Here is where you find out what kind of coach we have. He has to make a lot of tough decisions based on injuries and where to move guys. If Kube plays his cards right we stay the course, or make up ground. If he doesn’t then we head backwards, players miss time at specific spots, more injuries can occur, and it can steem role from there. Kube seems to have a lot of humility and is very accessible, hopefully we’ll look back on these decisions, where guys are being shifted, and say that was brilliant. Long winded. Out.

Thanks for the input Ken, hope to see more of it! I’m hoping you’re right about the secondary. I guess time will tell. ~ Crimedog

I didn’t like the statement about “beatimg the guy in front of them.” You play the way you practice and these are practice games. –Posted by: Jack at August 17, 2009 04:17 PMAnd ultimately, in every game, there comes a time when you must “beat the guy in front of you.”

I love the play-by-play breakdown. I’ll have to start recording the games so I can follow along.

The thing that stood out to me was the D-line getting penetration. Both DelJuan and Big Frank were getting into the backfield. That was really nice to see. Yeah, Okam is still a four letter word and he definitely runs hot and cold. But he did step up in the clutch and make that play on 4th down. I hope that becomes a habit for this team.

The CBs didn’t play as much outside in coverage as I expected. Did I miss it? I’m hoping this technique will help Reeves with his stiff neck as he’ll already be looking at the QB. It would also fit Dunta’s style pretty well. Still, there seemed to be a lot more eyes on the ball than backs to it. That’s gotta help. Right?

I’m looking forward to the Saints game and seeing more looks on D. I hope to see some ’46’ looks and different blitz packages against Brees. Yes, even some ZONE blitzes.

Not to sound rude but i see why this is your first time writing. What do you mean you thought Schaub looked slow. If 7 for 7 and a 95yd touchdown drive looks slow to you in a downpour then what did Orvlosky look like Capt. Retardo. Leach is probably one of the best fullbacks in the league. The only thing i can agree with you on is Casey. If your a true Texans follower you would know that Schaub is not the most accurate and his balls are not that pretty. Matt makes his living off of reading defenses and making the right throw to the right receivers. Just because the ball is not burned to the receiver does not mean that a QB is not effective, JUST ASK DAVID CARR.

1. Barwin’s spin fake WAS HORRID! Let’s say he shouldn’t be auditioning with dancing for the stars any time soon with that. I am not Barwin bashing here. He would agree. The deal is if a move as bad as that gets him to the QB what’s he going to be like when he gets those type of moves down?

A perfect example of why it takes a few years for a DE to become proficient. These moves are like ballet and in fact many great DE’s took ballet and dance classes to improve their footwork. Foot work is hard and takes endless reps to perfect!

Not to mention the leaning how to swim and swat and “wax on wax off” (The Karate Kid) while getting your feet in the right position to move. I tell you DL and OL are some of the most graceful positions in the game and definitely the most technically demanding. There is a whole lot of physics going on. These big guys are incredible athletes. Barwin will be fine because of natural abilities to be very good at such things.

2, Schuab looked great, Slaton missed an assingment and Schuab had to eat it. It was a safety the got him. He is going to look slow when trying to elude a safety. Matt has never been a track star but the guy was seven for seven. That’s called perfect. How can you find anything to complain about that!?

3, Brown’s missed block. I wonder about that. It was early in the first series. We have White and Studdard at center and guard. There could of been a miscommunication. It appeared to me that D Brown seemed a little caught off guard, either didn’t hear the call at the LOS or Studdard blocked the wrong guy. It looked to me that Brown started to move towards the guy that Studdard blocked and then stood up after seeing Casey lock on. The MLB shoot the gap and Brown just didn’t react soon enough, I don’t think he whiffed, I think there was confusion on blocking assignments. Sure made him look bad. It might have been his mistake but I think it was mental or communication not physical. Brown looked dominate besides that one obvious blunder. He sure didn’t look as stupid as Alberts did on that horrendously bad fake spin move by Barwin, HEHEHE!

Oh it was great write up. I too hate 13 coverage, football guys want to see the pre snap sets and motion. Overall the most unprofessional coverage I have seen from a camera side of things. Tillman drives me nuts. He is wrong so much and never admits it, like fumble by the KC. The guy is the anti homer! Works so hard to be “objective” he poors praises on the opponents and dogs on the Texans.

Great stuff, GB…who was the Miami DE who was on “Dancing With The Stars?” Wasn’t it Jason Taylor or something? Graceful or not, he got the sack. Oh wait, maybe someone else forced the QB to his side…or no wait, he was just ‘lucky’ lol! ~ Crimedog

You aren’t suprised, are you? Next thing you know, people will be griping that he didn’t go 10 for 7 in the middle of a tornado.

Great point, GB, on D. Brown and the possibility of a communications mixup. We fans might never know who’s at fault sometimes, without knowing what the assignments were.

I am in hour 15 of my shift. I still have 2 hours to go. I’m tired. My coffee is cold. My bottle of water is hot. It’s humid out. The traffic is horrendous. My right ankle hurts when I sit for long periods and then get up to walk. My glasses make my nose itch. My space bar sticks. The lights in here are too bright. I have a slow leak in my back right tire. The Texans don’t have a stud safety. Had enough? LOL ~ Crimedog

Wikipedia – “In other words, how a battle is fought is a matter of tactics: whether it should be fought at all is a matter of strategy.”

But in the sense of a game or contest – Wikipedia – “The strategy concept is sometimes (wrongly) confused with that of a move. A move is an action taken by a player at some point during the play of a game (e.g., in chess, moving white’s Bishop a2 to b3). A strategy on the other hand is a complete algorithm for playing the game, telling a player what to do for every possible situation throughout the game.”

T.H. was in a fantasy league with me. Its a fire/police/military league. One of you guys wanna fill in his spot?

I really appreciate the offer. I’ve never gotten into fantasy leagues and honestly don’t think I would have the time. Unfortunately besides being a workaholic I’m also borderline OCD and Mrs Crimedog wouldn’t be too happy if I took in another all too consuming hobby lol. ~ Crimedog

I am right there with you on the Texans needing a stud saftey but it doesn’t look like we will be getting one anytime soon, at least a stud strong saftey. I was bored and did my homework on the top safties that will be available during free agency next year and came up with three big named FREE safties.

Those safties were Nick Collings(Green Bay Packers), Antoine Bethea(Indianapolis Colts), and O.J. Otogwe(St. Louis Rams). The best strong safety that I saw was Sean Jones but he was available this past offseason and we didn’t show any interest. Also, we wont be in position to draft Taylor Mays or Eric Berry next year. At least I hope not. Hopefully another good saftey will emerge in the upcomming draft.

I think every championship team needs a hard hitting STRONG saftey, but I would still like to see the Texans pick up Bethea or Collings next year to play free saftey. Otogwe is approaching the wrong side of thirty. I unlike many Texans fans don’t want to see Dunta Robinson leave Houston. His talent might be replaceable but his passion and intensity is not. Dunta Robinson and Brian Cushing’s intensity together can take this team places that it has never been before.

I think the main priority for us next year will be to sign all of our own free agents and then getting a saftey should be the next thing on the list. I also would like to see the Texans solitify the weak side linebacker spot by adding Kirk Morrison from the Oakland Raiders. I don’t mean to start up a lame conversation about next years off season but we are soo close to having a complete team that I just couldn’t resist.

Thanks,

Rodney.

Good stuff Rodney! I would love to get Mays next year, but I’m not willing to sacrifice what we all hope is our first winning season lol. I’m really liking this Busing kid. But then again, I was hopeful about Demps and we all know where that got me. I think safety may be a priority next season along with OG, barring we don’t lose any of our quality starters elsewhere. CB may also be a huge need in 2010. ~ Crimedog

I just think it makes sense with so many new faces on Defense to play a simple game in pre-season because if they can get the job done without showing their hand in pre-season then the younger guys get a chance to boost their confidence in their individual play and the unit as a whole grows more cohesive and confident in the guys next to them. I think the phrase “beat the guy in front of them” is just the overly simplified way to put it. From what I could see on Saturday the defense was NOT vanilla (Smith style that is), they played aggressive and got some good penetration (yeah a good bit was against scrubs but the KC first team offense didn’t exactly dazzle anyone) even if they didn’t have a lot of variation in their attack.

16 hour shifts, I worked a few of them rascals…The last two or three hours, think of something you would really like to do when the shift ends…It helps to endure but i will not make any suggestions…

Cold coffee; A steam line or the intake manifold of your vehicle will suffice…

Hot drinking water; Igloo with ice in the trunk always helps…

Humid weather; Keep the vehicle running with the air conditioner on. Shipley’s donut shop is always air conditioned…

Traffic congested; Drive the back streets or turn on emergency lights and everyone will move to the side…

Right ankle hurting; Suggest soaking in Epson salt after a long shift…

Glasses itch; Lazer surgury will eliminate the need for glasses…

Lights to bright; Turn them off and dim the computer screen…

A good employee alway learns to adapt, to overcome and improvise. You impress me as one who

U think your post got cut short. Thanks Lennie I’m a master adapter lol. My whole point was it’s so pointless to complain and whine. There is so much to be excited about and a lot to look forward to, on and off the field. I remember the 2000 NFL season. Our offense was non-existent. Literally. So I’m just happy to be here where we are today. It beats being a fan of the Darlington team lol! ~ Crimedog

“it’s a strange deal staying in a hotel with a guy and at the same time having a wife that’s literally a mile-and-a-half or two miles away. But she still comes by, so when I have a little time off, I get to see her here and there. Like I said, it’s a little strange, but you just have to go with the flow.”

If they lose game 3 against Minnesota by a lot, then we’ll probably be in for another average season. If we win by a little, then I’d say we’ll probably be about what everyone expects.

It’s going to be important for the defense to play well against New Orleans. If Arian Foster gets to play it will be important for him to play well and also keep his quarterback clean, because there’s no way I’ll be convinced Chris Brown can stay healthy all season until he stays healthy all season after getting significant playing time in 16 games.

If Matt Schaub gets hurt for much of the season, it could be a blessing and a burden. The burden, obviously would be for us to not reach the playoffs and have a bad season. The blessing would be for us to get a high draft pick so that we can get Taylor Mays next year. If Matt Schaub gets hurt and miss a large portion of the season, the Texans may also not exercise the option on his contract and let him go next year.

Contrary to what John McClain says, I don’t think that Kubiak will sink or swim with Matt Schaub. I believe that Kubiak would pull the plug on the Matt Schaub experience if he had to because he has already expressed his frustration with Schaub’s injuries by saying that “Schaub could do more to prevent from getting hurt.”

The question is, can Orlovsky step up to the challenge of being our next starting QB or will we have to go out and get another one. I would like to see what Jason Campbell can do in this offense if we have to replace Schaub next year. Former Texans defensive lineman Gary Walker (whom I’ve meet recently by the way) stated on the Texans website that he believes Orlovsky can be the next starting QB for the Texans.

I think that we can get the draft pick that we need to move up and get Taylor Mays next year if we trade Owen Daniels. James Casey is already showing signs of greatness. So if that’s the plan, in essence, we would be trading Owen Daniels for Taylor Mays, a.k.a., a Troy Polomolau type saftey. Crimedog, would you guys trade Owen Daniels for Troy Polomalu if you were Rick Smith? I think almost anyone would. Imagine how happy and motivated Brian Cushing would be if that were to happen.

Thanks,

Rodney.

Owen for Troy? Where do I sign? I think Orlovsky, if he plays at all, will do better here than he showed in Detroit. I mean does Detroit have ‘Dre? Or Slaton? Or Daniels? Let’s hope the O-Line will keep Schaub on his feet. ~ Crimedog

Aside from being biased toward the Texans, what do you think about Okam in this years training camp? My opinion is that he is looking much improved but still has a long way to go….Your opinion please…

Lennie

Okam looks better now than this time last year. I think he will blossom under Bush, if he dedicates himself to the game. My concern has always been his level of dedication to the game, to his fitness and conditioning, and to the Texans. ~ Crimedog

Same old same old. NO RUNNING GAME and absolutely no imagination in play calling. Boring and boring and except for two plays by Brown not much to look forward to. Oh Yeah the # 40 kid looked realy good but alas he will get cut for some guy who can do a jig

It’s the first preseason game! Of course the play calling is going to be bland. And no running game? Did you watch any games last season? ~ Crimedog

i didnt see very much from this game honestly, wit the weather bein like that i think the team just wanted to get outta there wit everyone in one piece. not alot u can do when the field is all slick like that, Brown look good wit his cut n go, Okam brought pressure in the middle, Barwin looked fast comin off the edge, im pretty sure Bush will send more guys to free him up during the season. Casey showed he can make plays, some called it luck but hay he caught it with one hand fallin down bro… but just a soggy preseason game…lol Orvlosky better tighten up the height on his throws… all in all it was just good to see Texans Football again… i dont expect to see any real fireworks until the season starts, but i do expect our rookies to step up and stand out…

If they lose game 3 against Minnesota by a lot, then we’ll probably be in for another average season. –Posted by: Tom at August 19, 2009 07:00 PMThat’s like saying “if I step on that sidewalk crack, I’m gonna break my mother’s back.”there is no correlation whatsoever between how you do in the third preseason game, and how your season is going to go.

I must have missed something…People talking about pretty balls and what not…

Speaking of balls, if anyone is down my way this weekend I am going to smoke some fresh mountain oysters…Stop by and try some…I use Stumps marinade, lemon pepper with a dash of garlic…In the firebox I use a mixture of oak and pecan…

After todays practice I can see Mr. McNair calling for “Anger Management” classes for all Texans players…Personally I like the “take up for one another” attitude…Friendships are developed and back sides are covered…It is something that this team has lacked since it started…Good things happen when you play (or fight) as a “team”…

Lennie I loved McNair’s quote about the fight! Class guy, class owner. As I said on McClain’s Ant hill stomping blog comparing records with the Cowboys. I wouldn’t trade todays Cowboys for todays Texans in any capacity. Even the stadium. There comes a time you draw a line and Jerah has turned the game into an absolute three ring circus freak show and all.

I really could care less in all those multi million dollar bells and whistle type stuff. That fits real well up there. As for me, I go to a football game to watch a football game and a few frills are OK for the kiddos but for me when I go to watch a game I want to watch the game. Don’t be bugging me about a round of brew during the game!

I am very poor football party guy, I get irritated when people try to talk to me about any thing other then football during the game. I get doubly irritated when they make uninformed off the wall comments that they have no clue what they are talking about.

That’s one thing overall about Houston I love as football fan. We are not really into the hype, we don’t really care about what the nation thinks about us. We are not in general jumping up and down and doing weird things to get noticed. We really don’t care about being “America’s team”. We don’t really want a bunch of sunshine guys jumping on the wagon for we know they will jump right back off. Give me a group of folk that are into the Texans and have a little knowledge of the game and I will have a fine team. Don’t care about all that other stuff. My point that is what Bob McNair is working steadily to give us. A first class, well run, solid stable football team for Houston. No freak shows here please! Thank you Bob McNair.

I get doubly irritated when they make uninformed off the wall comments that they have no clue what they are talking about. –Posted by: GB at August 21, 2009 09:58 AMThen how in the world do you stand it on the ChronBlogs?

I understand completely…I am not one for a lot of bells and whisles…I liked the old days when you brought a blanket to the game when the temp. was 40 degrees or below….It was coffee or hot chocolate, not beer…Back when there was not some dumba$$ in you ear talking football when he doesn’t know a guard from a tackle…

I see where John McClain is stirring up some extra posts with the question of who is better, Schaub or Romo….

Every Dallas Cowboy quarterback, going back to “Dandy Don Meredith”, was a product of their environment (the Cowboy system)…You put them with any other NFL team and they would have been average at best…It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that…

You can build the biggest, fancies, most expensive statium in the world and put a average Joe Blow in it to play football….He will still be just a average Joe Blow….